Hartpury University has today been ranked in the top 10% of universities in relation to the positive impact its specialist research and wide-ranging partnerships have on the local region.
It topped a list of the specialist STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) universities for Local Growth and Regeneration, which includes activities where universities, businesses, the public sector and wider society work together to achieve strategic goals.
The list was published in the influential Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF) compiled by Research England, which supports universities in unlocking potential, generating impact, and meeting national priorities and global challenges.
Hartpury works in close alignment to national, local and regional industrial strategies to support local growth and regeneration within its specialist research areas – animal, agriculture, equine and sport.
Through its successful relationship with GFirst LEP, Hartpury has been closely involved in shaping the draft Local Industrial Strategy (LIS) and preparing to be part of delivering its key aims, most notably around agriculture, green technologies and STEM.
Hartpury supports Gloucestershire County Council in knowledge exchange strategic planning, while as the largest employer in the Forest of Dean, it is a key stakeholder in the Forest Economic Partnership.
Hartpury also works closely with the Gloucestershire Federation of Small Businesses, the Cheltenham Chamber of Commerce and networking organisation Circle2Success.
Professor Stephen Draper, Academic Dean at Hartpury University, said: “We’re really proud to have been rated number one STEM university by Research England in the Local Growth and Regeneration category of the new Knowledge Exchange Framework.
“As a forward-thinking institution, we’re absolutely committed to supporting and making a valuable contribution to our local economy, environment and community through our extensive research and specialist knowledge.
“We recognise the need for knowledge exchange activities to promote local growth and regeneration, so we’re dedicated to sharing research and best practice, while our specialist, modern and commercially relevant facilities represent the ideal test bed for emerging innovations.
“We’re extremely proud of the partnerships we’ve built with regional business communities and, through our Knowledge Exchange (KE) offering, we look forward to providing further wide-ranging support to promote local growth and regeneration.”
